It's easy to get tense and anxious when you have too much going on. Sometimes, I have to take an hour and do something to relax just to protect my mental health. An hour of relaxation now is much better than a few hours of mental breakdown later.
Here are my tips for five ways to unwind when life is just too much:
(1) Have a meal with a friend.
It's far too easy to get into a pattern of eating all your meals while working on something. And there's nothing bad about working while eating one or two meals a day...it's when you realize that you always eat by yourself that you have a problem! When I'm very stressed, I try to take a little bit of time to eat lunch or dinner with my roommate, Lauren. Talking to her about my problems while I eat always puts me in a better (and typically more productive) mood and helps me avoid burning out.
It's far too easy to get into a pattern of eating all your meals while working on something. And there's nothing bad about working while eating one or two meals a day...it's when you realize that you always eat by yourself that you have a problem! When I'm very stressed, I try to take a little bit of time to eat lunch or dinner with my roommate, Lauren. Talking to her about my problems while I eat always puts me in a better (and typically more productive) mood and helps me avoid burning out.
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| A pizza bagel lunch from last week |
(2) Take a bath.
A lot of people only have showers at university, but if you're lucky enough to have a bathtub, take advantage of it! A 20 minute bath is such a great way to relax...if you have a lot to do, you can even review material for a test while in the bath.
A lot of people only have showers at university, but if you're lucky enough to have a bathtub, take advantage of it! A 20 minute bath is such a great way to relax...if you have a lot to do, you can even review material for a test while in the bath.
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| My favorite bath products are by Zoella Beauty |
(3) Listen to inspirational music.
I had a very difficult week last week. The kind of week that would typically end in me crying in a corner somewhere. But, last week the Hamilton cast album was released and I spent every moment walking around campus listening to it. Listening to upbeat music that makes you feel like you can conquer the world while you're studying or just walking to your classes can help you so much! #imnotthrowingawaymyshot
I had a very difficult week last week. The kind of week that would typically end in me crying in a corner somewhere. But, last week the Hamilton cast album was released and I spent every moment walking around campus listening to it. Listening to upbeat music that makes you feel like you can conquer the world while you're studying or just walking to your classes can help you so much! #imnotthrowingawaymyshot
(4) Watch some YouTube videos.
Sometimes when I'm stressed, the idea of watching a movie stresses me out even more. Taking a two hour break? Not something I can justify to myself. Spending 15-20 minutes watching YouTube videos is much better for me. Sometimes I watch haul videos or vlogs, but a lot of times I watch concert videos when I'm stressed out. Tell me you can watch this video without smiling and I'll call you a liar. ;)
Sometimes when I'm stressed, the idea of watching a movie stresses me out even more. Taking a two hour break? Not something I can justify to myself. Spending 15-20 minutes watching YouTube videos is much better for me. Sometimes I watch haul videos or vlogs, but a lot of times I watch concert videos when I'm stressed out. Tell me you can watch this video without smiling and I'll call you a liar. ;)
(5) Treat yourself.
When I'm quite worried about something, I like to treat myself to my favorite food to make my mood better. I can't be unhappy when I'm eating a macaroon with my lunch!
When I'm quite worried about something, I like to treat myself to my favorite food to make my mood better. I can't be unhappy when I'm eating a macaroon with my lunch!
